Skylight construction



Dec. 2, 1937. H, LENKE 2,102,902

SKYLIGHT CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 28, 1937 BURGEHLENKE/ Patented Dec. 21,1937 UNirEo STATES PATENTV orties sKYLIGH'r CONSTRUCTION George'HenryLenke, Elmhurst, Ill., assignor of cneuhalf to Julius J. Ohlis, OakPark, Ill.

ApplicatonJanuary 28, 1937, Serial No. 122,848

6 Claims. (Cl. 108--16) This invention relates to skylight constructionSkylights are mounted on Structural framing and has for its object toprovide a construction members which may be of different formationswhich is simple in parts and more efficient in such as angle bars,channel members, I-beams use than those heretofore proposed. etc. but inFig. 1 there is shown for convenience With these and other objects inview the inan angle bar I5 which is provided, at spaced in- 5 ventionresides in novel details of construction tervals in the horizontalflange I6 thereof, with and combinations of parts as will be described aplurality of preformed round apertures such more fully hereinafter andparticularly pointed as Il for a purpose presently to appear, and theout in the claims. v body portion 2 of the gutter plate is provided l@Referring to the accompanying drawing formwith similar apertures such asI9 adapted to reg- '10 ing a part of this specification and in whichlike ister with the apertures I'I when the parts are numerals designatelike parts in all the views,- assembled.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view illustrating the inven- `A strip I9 ofasphaltic felt or other suitable tion and taken transversely of askylight supcushioning and/or weather proofing or insulating portingmember; material is-interposed between the flange I6 of 15 Fig. 2 is asectional view of the parts shown in the angle bar and the main bodyportion of the Fig. '1 but taken as on the line 2 2 of said ggutterplate and this strip of material is `also preure and looking in thedirection of the arrow; formed with apertures such as 29 and 2l, theFig. 3 isA a view in perspective of some of the former spaced toaccommodate therein the washparts shown in Figs. l'and 2, said partsseparated er I9 and burred end of a bolt 'I, and the latter toillustrate the manner of their assembly; apertures 2l Vpositioned toregister with the aper- Fig. 4 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 3 illustratingtures I1 and I8 just described, the width of the the method ofassembling the shoulder bolt to strip i9 being substantially equal tothe Width the gutter plate; and of the flange I6 of the angle bar, andthe width Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showng of the main bodyportion 2 of the gutter plate 25 the' application of this invention to-a skylight being such as to receive said strip and said anglecontaining double glazing. y bar between its skirt portions as clearlyindi- Firstreferring to Figs. 1 to eithere is disclosed cated in Fig. 1.agutter plategenerallyidentied by the numeral lWith the members 2, I9and I6 properly as- V0 I and consisting of a main body portion 2prosembled, theapertures I8, 2| and I 'I respectively o` vided onopposite sides with Vololiquely depending thereof will be inregistry forthe receptionA of a skirts such as 3 and 4, each skirtterminating in,drive screw 22 forced therethrough, it being unan angularly bent orrounded and upturned-edge r derstood that the drive `screw will be ofrelatively portion such as 5 to form the gutter 6. A bolt hard metalsuch as steel and provided on its l is threaded at its upper end toreceive thereon shank portion with a screw thread of relatively 35 a capnut 8, and near its lower end there is progreat pitch so that when saidscrew is driven, the vided a substantially conical portion 9 whosethreads thereof will bite into the walls of the lower edge constitutes ashoulder adapted to rest apertures I8 `and I1 and become tightly engagedagainst the upper surface of the main body portherewith to hold theparts 2, I9 and I6 in rigid 40 tion2 of the gutter plate, the extremelower porsecurement. The material of the gutter plate A0 tion of saidbolt below said shoulder passing and the angle bar will be softer thanthe material P through said plate and receiving a washer I9 of the drivescrew to permit the threaded engagepositioned against the underside ofsaid gutter ment as just described, and said drive screw is plate, thebolt rigidly secured in place by burring provided with a roundedrelatively flat head preits `extreme end as clearly indicated in Fig. 1.To senting a minimum of protuberance above the 4 5 f prevent rotation ofthis bolt with reference to gutter plate. the gutter plate the lower endof the bolt is made From what has been above described it will be ofsquare or yother polygonal shape as indicated seen thatv the anchor bolt1 is rigidly secured to at Il in Figa-and both the gutter plate and thethe gutter plate, and that the gutter plate is rig- 0 washer I0 areprovided with correspondingly idly secured tothe angle bar or otherstructural 50 formed apertures such as indicated at I2 for supportingunit by the drive screws 22, with a engagement therewith. These bolts 1are spaced strip I9 of asphaltic felt or other insulating maat desiredintervals along the length of the gutter terial interposed between saidplate and said bar. platesand preferably are secured thereto at the`Further, it will be understood that the polygonal 5 5 factory prior tothe assemblage of the skylight. t between the anchor bolt and the gutterplate 55 preventsturning movement of said bolt when the cap nut 8 isapplied or removed, and the shoulder portion 9 of said bolt togetherwith the washer l0 makes possible a substantially waterproof joint byvirtue of the pressure exerted when burring the end of the bolt over thewasher. In other words the burring pressure is great enough to clamp thewasher, the main body portion of the gutter plate, and the shoinder. ofthe bolt tightly in surface contact with each other, while at the sametime causing a lateral expansion of the metal of the shank Il of thebolt into tight engagement with the inner surfaces of the polygonalapertures of said washer and said gutter plate. Y

In the further assemblage of the skylight, and after the gutter platehas been secured to the supporting structural member such as the anglebar l5, there is provided another strip 25 of asphaltic felt or othersuitable insulating material having preformed apertures such as 26adapted to register with and receive therein the anchor bolts.Preferably these apertures are formed of a diameter substantially equalto that rof the upper portion of said bolts so that, when the strip 25is pressed against the upper surface of the gutter plate, thesubstantially conical shoulder portion 9 of the bolts will tightly itand close said apertures and thereby form a substantial seal preventingpassage of moisture or air. 'I'his strip serves as a seat for theskylight glasses and is shown as having a width substantially equal tothe width of the main body portion of the gutter plate, but obviously itcould b e wider if desired.

Next above the strip 25 is positioned a plurality of spacers generallyidentied by the numeral 21 shown in section in Figs. l and 2 and shownin perspective view in Fig. 10. Each spacer is made of rubber or othercompressible material which is impervious to water, and is centrallyapertured to receive the anchor bolt, and is of a width as seen in Fig.l to substantially ll the space between the opposing edges of theglasses 28 and 29 of the skylight, the purpose of the spacers being toprevent said glasses from contacting the anchor bolts yet Ypermittingrelative expansion and contraction of the metallic and glass membersunder changes of temperature, without Vinjury to either. The spacers can,be individual units as illustrated or there may be provided a singleseparator strip of a length suliicient` to receive two or more boltstherethrough but it has been found most desirable to provide theindividual units, one for each anchor bolt, due to ease of handling aswell as minimum of material. The underside of the spacer unit 21 may beprovided witha cut away portion indicated at 30 for various purposessuch as saving of material, providing a recess to receive therein anyupwardly displaced portion of the Weatherproofstrip 25 occasioned bytheV conical Vshoulder of the anchor bolt, to reduce the thickness ofthe central portion of the unit to permit a more ready expansion of thematerial of said unit when pressure is applied to secure the glasses 28and 29 in position, etc. Y

With the spacers such as 21 applied over the anchor bolts, the glasses28 and 29 are laid in position as shown to rest upon the strip 25 withthe space between their opposed edges occupied by said spacers, and thena third strip 33 of asphaltic felt or other suitable weather-resistingmaterial, having preformed apertures therein, is applied over the boltson top of the glasses. A sheet metal cap member generally indicated bythe numeral 34, also having preformed apertures therein, is then appliedover the bolts and secured under tension by the cap nut 8 against thestrip 33 to complete the skylight assemblage. The sheet metal cap issubstantially of the form shown in Figs. l and 5, having a main bodyportion with downwardly divergent skirt portions Whose lower edges areoutturned to provide'flanges disposed in Va plane substantially parallelto the plane of the main body portion, said anges adapted to rest uponthe uppermost felt strip 33. By this construction a slight springinessor yieldability is permitted when the cap nut 8 is screwed down tightlyagainst the upper surface of the main body portion, thereby renderingpossible a tight joint between the flanges and said strip.

In Fig. there is shown double glazing employed in the skylightconstruction, that is to say there are provided a plurality of panes ofglasses disposed in a common planeV constituting the upper glazing, aswell 4as a plurality of panes of glasses disposed in another and lowercommon plane constituting the lower glazing. All of the parts hereillustrated above the plane of the lower surfaces of the upper glasses,as well as all of the parts shown below the plane of the lower surfacesof the lower glasses, are substantially the same as those described andshown with reference to Fig. l and( consequently need no furtherdescription. Therefore the only parts requiring specific mention herearemthose Vlying between said planes.

The purposeof double glazing is to provide an insulating air spacebetween the panes as well understood, and to make possible theutilization of glass panes of different kinds, qualities and othercharacteristics producing diierent resulting eifects Y onY thelight raystransmitted therethrough. Consequently theupper andlower glazings aresubject to different temperatures namely, the former to outside and thelatter to inside temperatures the `difference between which may beconsiderable, and thereforen provision is made to take `care of the airpressure in the space between these glazings.V 'Io` this 'end strips 55and 56 of suitable cushioning and/or weather proofing or insulatingVmaterial are placed respectively above the lower glazing and beneaththe'upper glazing, with a Wood separator 51 and a spring `brass cushionstripV or leaf spring 58 interposed between said. insulating strips asshown, all of these members provided with apertures to receive theanchor bolt therethrough. As the pressure varies between vthe upper andlower glazing, the spring stripV 58 Will yield accordingly, and permitrelative movement of one glazing with respect to the other. The members55, 56, 51 `and 58 are each preferably continuous thereby making aperfect closure in Vthe skylight structure, although it is obvious thateach may be made of a plurality'of substantially lengthwise adjoiningunits spanning two or more anchor bolts.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details ofconstruction as well vas the arrangementsof parts without departing fromthe spirit of this invention and therefore I do notV wish to be limitedto the exact foregoing disclosure except as may be demanded by theclaims.

What is claimed is: p

l'. In skylight construction the combination of a supporting framemember; a gutter plate; an anchor bolt secured to said gutter plate;Vindependent means tousecure said gutter plate to said member; glassesmounted on opposite sides of said bolt; and a yieldable cap mounted onsaid bolt and holding said glasses under tension.

2. In skylight construction the combination of a supporting framemember; a gutter plate; a separator strip disposed between said plateand said member and substantially coextensive with said member; ananchor bolt secured to said plate; a fastener for independently securingsaid gutter plate and said strip to said member, said fastener adaptedto maintain said plate, said strip, and said member in substantialparallelism; glassesmounted on opposite sides of said bolt; and boltengaging means for holding said glasses to said plate.

3. In skylight construction the combination of a supporting framemember; a gutter plate; .an anchor bolt secured to said plate;independent means to secure said gutter plate to said member; upper andlower glazing comprising glasses mounted on opposite sides of said bolt;a substantially flat separator strip tted over said anchor bolt andcoextensive with said member, said strip having a dishecicentral portionand serving as a yieldable means for spacing the upper glazing from thelower glazing; and means cooperating with said bolt to secure the upperglazing, the lower glazing and said separating means under tension.

4. In skylight construction the combination of a supporting framememlber; a gutter plate and means to secure the same to said member; ananchor bolt independently secured to said plate, the securement adaptedto lie above the plane of the uppermost surface of said member andspaced from the iirst named securement; glasses disposed on oppositesides of said bolt; and means enginging said `boli; for holding saidglasses to said plate.

5. In skylight construction the combination of a supporting framemember; a gutter plate; an anchor bolt secured to said gutter plate;independent means to secure said gutter plate to said member; glazingextending in opposite directions from said bolt; and bolt engaging meansl for holding said glazing to said plate.

6. In skylight construction the combination of a supporting framemember; a gutter plate; an anchor bolt secured to said gutter plate;independent means to secure said gutter plate to said member; glassesmounted on opposite sides of said bolt; and bolt engaging means forholding said glasses to said plate.

GEORGE HENRY LENKE.

